WEEKLY OCEAN NEWS

3-7 August 2015

DataStreme Ocean will return for Fall 2015 with new Investigations files starting during Preview Week, Monday, 24 August 2015. All the current online website products will continue to be available throughout the summer break period.

Items of Interest:

Coast Guard Day is celebrated -- Tuesday, 4 August 2015, is designated Coast Guard Day, as the day commemorating the founding of the United States Coast Guard as the Revenue Cutter Service on 4 August 1790, by then Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. A fleet of the first ten Revenue Service cutters were authorized by Congress with the responsibility for enforcement of the first tariff laws enacted by Congress under the Constitution. The Coast Guard was given its current name in 1915 when the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the US Lifesaving Service. In 1939, the US Lighthouse Service was transferred to the Coast Guard. Since 2001, the US Coast Guard has been part of the US Department of Homeland Security. [US Defense Department]
National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day is celebrated -- Friday, 7 August 2015, is designated National Lighthouse and Lighthouse Preservation Day, which marks the anniversary of the signing of the Act of Congress on 7 August 1789 when the Federal Government assumed responsibility for building and operating the nation's lighthouses. [American Lighthouse Foundation]

Ocean in the News:

Eye on the Tropics -- Organized tropical cyclone activity continued across the Pacific and Indian basins in the Northern Hemisphere during the last week:

In the eastern North Pacific basin, a tropical depression formed approximately 1170 miles to the west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula at the start of last week. Designated Tropical Depression 8E, this system never strengthened to become a tropical storm as it traveled toward the west and dissipated after two and a half days. See the NASA Hurricane Page for additional details and satellite images on Tropical Depression 8E.
Tropical Storm Guillermo, the seventh named tropical cyclone of the 2015 eastern Pacific hurricane season formed during the second half of last week approximately 1475 miles to the southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Within a day, this tropical storm intensified to become the eastern Pacific's fifth hurricane as it traveled toward the west-northwest. By this past Saturday afternoon Hurricane Guillermo had crossed the 140 degrees West meridian to enter the Central Pacific basin. By late Saturday, Hurricane Guillermo had strengthened to become a category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Scale. By Sunday afternoon Hurricane Guillermo was approximately 845 miles east-southeast of Hilo on Hawaii's Big Island. Current forecasts indicate that Guillermo should continue traveling toward the west-northwest and pass close to the Hawaiian Islands by midweek. Consult the NASA Hurricane Page for satellite images and additional information on Hurricane Guillermo.
In the western North Pacific basin, Tropical Storm Soudelor developed from a tropical depression near Chuuk (or Truk) in the Federated States of Micronesia late last week. Traveling to the west, Soudelor intensified to become a weak typhoon by start of this past weekend. However, by late Sunday (local time), Soudelor had intensified to become a category 3 typhoon on the Saffir-Simpson Scale as it was traveling toward the west-northwest near Saipan. Current forecasts indicate that Typhoon Soudelor could strengthen to become a super typhoon early this week as it continues to travel toward the west-northwest over the waters surrounding the Mariana Islands. Additional information and satellite information on Typhoon Soudelor can be found at NASA Hurricane Page.
Tropical Depression 14W had formed over this weekend at least 500 miles to the south-southeast of Yokosuka, Japan. This system was forecast to travel toward the west-northwest during the first several days of this week with little intensification.
In the northern Indian Ocean basin, Tropical Storm Komen (or Tropical Storm 2B) formed in the northern Bay of Bengal approximately 80 miles to the south-southwest of Chittagong, Bangladesh at the midpoint of last week. After a day, Komen traveled toward the north and northeast and made landfall along the coast of Bangladesh near Chittagong. After making landfall, Tropical Storm Komen was downgraded to a tropical depression as it traveled inland.
Locally heavy rain accompanied Komen. See the NASA Hurricane Page for satellite images and additional information on Tropical Storm Komen.

National Hurricane Center's initiative to improve its forecasts is highlighted -- A feature entitled "Cyclones and Warnings and Names, Oh My!" recently was posted on the National Hurricane Center's official blog that describes the efforts being conducted at the Center to improve its tropical cyclone outlook capabilities. [Inside the Eye – Official blog of the National Hurricane Center]
Heat index reaches stifling levels in Iran -- At the end of last week, the heat index (or 'feel-like' temperature) reached 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius) in Bandar Mahshahr, a community in southwestern Iran, as the ambient air temperature was 115 degrees F (46 degrees C) and the dewpoint temperature was 90 degrees F (32 degrees C). Note: According to weather historian and author Christopher Burt, the highest known heat index ever recorded was 178 degrees F (81 C) at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on 8 July 2003, when the air temperature reached 108 degrees F (42 degrees C), with a dewpoint of 95 degrees F (35 degrees C), which appears to be the highest dewpoint temperature recorded. NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (formerly National Climatic Data Center) or the World Meteorological Organization do not maintain official records of dewpoint or heat index extremes. [The Washington Post] or [Metro News]
Public is invited to join in deep sea expedition of Pacific marine protected areas -- The public is invited to explore deep sea habitats and marine life around Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary through the end of September as part of a scientific expedition conducted by NOAA scientists and colleagues. These researchers will be conducing unmanned remotely operated vehicles, or ROVs, operated from the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer with exploration to depths ranging from 1300 to 16,250 feet. [NOAA Office of Oceanic & Atmospheric Research News]
Public comments solicited on updated draft acoustic guidelines -- During the last week NOAA Fisheries announced that it was seeking public comment through early September on its updated draft guidelines that would be used to determine the effects of human-generated sounds on marine mammals. These proposed guidelines will be used by federal agencies, industry and others conducting activities that generate underwater noise, such as military testing and oil and gas exploration. Furthermore, the guidelines would be used in NOAA Fisheries' assessments and authorizations exposure on marine mammals, and will be used in our assessments and authorizations of activities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act. [NOAA Fisheries Newsroom]
Public comment period for revision of Endangered Species listing of green sea turtle is extended -- NOAA Fisheries and the US Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced a 30-day extension to the public comment period for a proposal intended to reclassify the green sea turtle under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In addition, turtles originating from two breeding populations currently considered endangered as threatened due to improvements in their populations. Reclassification into eleven Distinct Population Segments should provide more tailored conservation efforts globally, as all green sea turtle populations will continue to be protected under the ESA. [NOAA Fisheries News]
Observing wildlife in the Antarctic with "Crittercams" -- Scientists from the NOAA Fisheries' Southwest Fisheries Science Center's Antarctic Ecosystem Research Division have been using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and Crittercams to study fish and wildlife in the waters surrounding Antarctica, one of the most remote locations on planet Earth. Crittercams are small video cameras mounted to animals' bodies to record their movements. [NOAA News]
Today's floods in Charleston could represent future high tides -- A climate case study is presented that uses the area around Charleston, SC as an example of what the impacts of future sea level rise would have upon existing tidal flooding problems. [NOAA Climate.gov News]
An All-Hazards Monitor -- This Web portal provides the user information from NOAA's National Weather Service, FAA and FEMA on current environmental events that may pose as hazards such as tropical weather, fire weather, marine weather, severe weather, drought and floods. [NOAA/NWS Daily Briefing]
Earthweek -- Diary of the Planet [earthweek.com] Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Historical Events:

3 August 1492...The Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, in command of three ships, embarked from the Spanish port of Palos de la Frontera on a journey westward in search of a sea route to Asia. This expedition, which reached the Bahamas near North America on 12 October, was the first of four expeditions that Columbus made to the "New World". (The History Channel)
3 August 1958...At 11:15 EDT, the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was the first ship to reach the geographic North Pole submerged, traveling at a depth of approximately 500 feet from the Beaufort Sea near Point Barrow, AK on 1 August to the Greenland Sea near Spitzbergen on 5 August. (Naval Historical Center) (The History Channel)
3 August 1970...Hurricane Celia made landfall near Port Aransas on the Texas coast, producing wind gusts to 161 mph at Corpus Christi, and estimated wind gusts of 180 mph at Arkansas Pass. Even at Del Rio, 250 miles inland, Celia produced wind gusts to 89 mph. The hurricane was the most destructive of record along the Texas coast causing 454 million dollars damage as 8950 homes were destroyed on the Coastal Bend. Celia also claimed eleven lives and injured 466 people. (David Ludlum) (The Weather Channel) (Intellicast)
3-4 August 1978...The remnants of Tropical Storm Amelia produced up to 32 inches of rain on Schackelford County in Texas, an incredible amount of rain for a far-inland and non-mountainous area. A twenty-foot wall of water killed six during the evening of the 4^th in Albany, resulting in 89 percent of the city being covered by water. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
4(?) August 1609...A tempest struck the western Atlantic Ocean scattering small British convoy headed to Virginia. Two vessels sank; another, the Sea Venture was presumed lost. However, a ship made landfall on Bermuda, shipwrecking the crew. After a ten-month stay to build two small rescue boats, they sailed to Jamestown (Virginia) Colony. Incident accounts may have provided William Shakespeare with background material for The Tempest. (The Weather Doctor)
4 August 1666...A violent hurricane raked the island of Guadeloupe, destroying all boats along its coast, including a 17-ship fleet with 2000 troops. The island's batteries, with 6-foot thick walls, were destroyed and the 16-pounders (large cannons) were washed away. (The Weather Doctor) (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
4 August 1858...After several unsuccessful attempts, the first trans-Atlantic cable, a 2000-mile submerged telegraph line conceived by Cyrus W. Field, was completed by USS Niagara and British ship Agamemnon. While the first messages were exchanged between President James Buchanan and Queen Victoria on 16 August, the cable ceased functioning in early September. The first permanent trans-Atlantic cable was laid in 1866. (Naval Historical Center) (The History Channel)
5-6 August 1959...Hurricane Dot crossed Kauai in the Hawaiian Islands producing sustained winds of 103 mph and gusts to 125 mph. Over 6 inches of rain fell there and over 9 inches on the island of Hawaii. The sugar cane crop on Kauai sustained $2.7 million in damages. (Intellicast)
5-7 August 1997...Although far to the southwest, Hurricane Guillermo generated surf to 12-foot heights along the beaches of southern California. In Newport Beach, lifeguards made almost 300 rescues on the 5^th and 6^th. Rip currents were responsible for one death and three injuries. (Accord's Weather Guide Calendar)
6 August 1986...A low-pressure system that redeveloped off the New South Wales coast of Australia dumped a record 12.91 inches of rain in one day on Sydney. (Wikipedia)
7 August 1679...The brigantine Le Griffon, commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was towed to the southern end of the Niagara River, to become the first ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. The ship disappeared on the return leg of its maiden voyage from Lake Michigan. (Wikipedia)
8 August 1585...The British navigator and polar explorer, John Davis, entered Cumberland Sound in quest for the North-West Passage. (Wikipedia)
8 August 2000...The Confederate submarine CSS H.L. Hunley was raised to the surface after 136 years on the ocean floor. This submarine sank in the Charleston (SC) Harbor after sinking the USS Housatonic on 17 February 1864. (Wikipedia)
9 August 1988...Tropical Storm Beryl deluged Biloxi with 6.32 inches of rain in 24 hours, and in three days drenched Pascagoula, MS with 15.85 inches of rain. (The National Weather Summary) (Storm Data)